sad James christmas
Keith sighed as he shivered. "What's taking Shiro so long?" He asked Adam. "I don't know. He always takes forever. Probably finishing up some work." "Ugh, work." Keith said. "Why can't he just do it earlier?" "Why don't you do your work earlier instead of in class?" Adam asked. Keith rolled his eyes. "Well excuse me if I'm not like James. He's a suck up." Adam frowned. "Keith, there's more to James than that." "Like what? He has the highest grades in school, I'm the only person better at the sims than he is, and no one likes him. What else is there?" "Why don't you ask him? "Adam suggests, nodding to the side. Keith follows his eyes, seeing the other boy pacing on the sidewalk, phone against his ear.
His jacket collar hits his chin, almost covering his mouth, but Keith can still see the scowl on his face.
"When are you gonna get here? School ended literally three hours ago!" He says. His face falls as the other person replies. "Well are you at least going to be home?" He huffs. "Why not?"
He rolls his eyes. "No, I want a real reason."
There’s a pause.
"That- you're ditching on Christmas again because of your girlfriend? You've been dating this one for what, a week? And she's worth skipping Christmas again?"
He stops pacing. "No, I mean again. You haven't spent Christmas with me since I was 7. I'm 13. It's been six fucking years since you spent the holidays with me. You always ditch me for whatever whore you're dating."
The other person said something.
"Yes they are! You date them for a week at most and decide you wanna go to the Bahamas or Hawaii or Tokyo with them and forget about me!"
The other person says something, and James growls.
"Of course I'm making this about me! I haven't seen you in person in two years, you always forget my birthday, you're never around on holidays, and you expect me to be okay with that! I-"
The other person said something.
"Oh yeah, because all 8 year olds like spending two weeks alone in a mansion with no parents. Do you have any idea how hard that is? Every fucking year, you leave for a corporate retreat or a holiday with whatever bitch you're dating and leave me alone! I spend two weeks alone in a huge, empty house, and you don't even bother to tell me until the day I'm standing outside like an idiot waiting for my dad to pick me up! I don't get presents, I spend days waiting for you! And you never show up! Ev-every year, you do this. And I go back to school hearing all the other kids talking about what they got or what them and their family did, and I'm reminded that I didn't get to do anything! I didn't get to decorate a tree, or make cookies, or even talk to my own dad!" James took a deep breath.
"Look, I- I know you wish you didn't have a kid, believe me, I know, you tell me all the time, but can you at least pretend? For my sake? Can you, for once, do something for me? Just for me, not something that benefits you. Can you act like an actual dad? Who shows up and is actually a part of my life, not a voice over the phone? Who spends time with me and doesn't ignore me or forget me? Who actually cares?"
The other person yells something, and James jerks the phone away from his ear.
"Selfish? I'm being selfish? For wanting to spend time with my father? To have someone to talk to? For wanting not to be alone all the time? For not wanting people to spread rumors about me and treat me like garbage? For asking for things parents are supposed to give you, like love and affection? I'm being selfish by asking you, for once, to not tell me how you didn't want me and how I'm a disappointment and it- it's my fault my mom is gone whenever you see me? For wanting to at least know her name or what she was like? You- you never talk about her, or-or tell me ANYTHING! The-the last time I saw you, we were together for less than 15 minutes before you left. You left to go to the bathroom and you didn't come back. You fucking secretary had to drive me home. And you weren't even there! You- you were supposed to be there. For- for my birthday. January 19th. The one day I asked you to spend with me. We- we were supposed to watch that movie you like and get pizza and eat ice cream, and you- you left. That's all I've asked you for on both my birthday and Christmas the past 5 years. For you to make time for me, just once. To spend time with me. I don't even care what we watch or what we eat. I just want you to spend time with me. Is that- is that too much to ask?"
James sniffles, and they realize he's trying not to cry, his shoulders shaking with effort.
"No, I don't want you to promise to do it next year! You always say that, you always say 'next time lil Griffin, next time, I promise'. But it never happens! Wh- why is it so hard for you to spend time with me?"
The other voice murmurs something and James's fist clenches.
"You know what, just- just forget it. I can't believe I fooled myself into believing that you'd listen. That you actually cared. That maybe, just maybe, you'd do something for me once. Go spend Christmas with your girlfriend like you always do. I- I'll just stay at the Garrison."
They say something else.
"No you're not. You never are." James hangs up and shoves the phone in his pocket, picking up his backpack.
He turns and heads back towards the doors, towards Keith and Adam. "James, are you okay?" Keith asks. James ignores him and walks past silently. Keith grabs his wrist. "James..." The boy turns to face him and they see the unshed tears shimmering in his purple eyes. "What?" he asks, voice wavering. "Are you okay?" Adam asks. "I'm fine. I- I have to go." James says stepping away. He goes back inside as they stare at him.
Keith sighs. "We're gonna go check on him, aren't we?" "No, you are." Adam says. "What?" Keith squacks. Adam rolls his eyes. "If I go, he'll dodge the question. But he likes you. Thinks you're interesting. He'll listen." "Really? James likes me?" Adam looked at him. "Keith, you said it yourself. No one likes him. And you heard him. He's alone. Everyone else has left already, and you're the only person in his grade who even knows his first name. And, he told me himself. But he thinks you hate him like everyone else, so he doesn't try to talk to you." Keith frowns. "I didn't know that." Adam hums. "Well? Go." Keith huffs and goes back in the building, navigating the halls until he finds the dorm with the name "Griffin, James" on it.
'No roommate' he thinks. 'He really is alone all the time.’
He taps the keypad, and the door slides open.
"James?" he asks, stepping in. The boy is sitting on his bed, staring at a picture. Tears are silently streaming down his cheeks. "Hey Keith." He croaks. "Are you- are you okay?" Keith asks, sitting next to him. "Yeah, I'm fine." He mumbles. "Your mouth says one thing, but your face says another." Keith comments. James chuckles, wiping his nose on his sleeve. He shows Keith the picture. It's a man, with hair and a complexion similar to him, and brown eyes. He stands next to a younger James, maybe five or six, both smiling at each other. They're sitting at a table in a restaurant, and both have dress shirts on.
"That's uh- the last time he smiled at me." James says. "The last time I remember anyway. It was my fifth birthday. One of his coworkers took the picture and gave it to me." "Where's your mom?" Keith asks, staring at the picture. James looks so different. He actually looks happy.
"I uh- I don't know. I never met her. And I don't remember her either. My dad won't talk about her. But he uh- he says I'm the reason she left." He stares at the floor between his feet. "I don't even know her name." "Your dad sounds like an asshole." Keith says, handing him the picture. "Yeah, but he- he's the only family I have. I've never met the rest of them." "Rest of them?" Keith asks. "Yeah. Um, he has an older brother and sister. But he- he says I'm not worth their time. That they have better things to do then meet their brat nephew." "What do they do?" Keith asks.
"Um, something with marketing and sales. They have kids too, so I have cousins. But Dad says I'm not worth their time. Tells me to be more like them. But how can I be like someone I've never met?"James says with a shaky laugh.
Keith frowns. "James, when's the last time your dad said something nice to you? Or anyone?" James shrugs. "It- it's been a while. But it- it's okay. I'm used to it." He wiped at his eyes. "Don't- don't you have somewhere to be? Aren't you spending Christmas with Shirogane and Mr. W?" "What about you?" Keith asks. James smiles weakly. "I'll be fine. I'm used to being alone."
Keith frowns. "Come here." He says, standing and opening his arms. James stands and steps forward tentatively. Keith rolls his eyes and grabs his shoulders, pulling him into the hug. James stiffens but melts into it, wrapping his arms around him and laying his head on Keith's shoulder.
"You don't have to be alone." Keith mumbles.
That's all it takes for James to break down.
He lets out a broken sob and pulls back, covering his face with his hands. The tears come with loud, hiccuping sobs that shake his entire body. Keith pulls him close again as James keeps sobbing, the sounds making his heart ache.
"I- I just want to-to spend t-time with him. Is- is that so-so w-wrong?" He stutters. "No, it's not." Keith says. James keeps crying until he has no more tears, but Keith keeps him close. "Why are you doing this?" James asks quietly. "Because we all need someone sometimes." Keith pulls back. "And if you'd like, I can be that someone."
James nods, the corners of his lips twitching up. "Y-yeah. I'd like that." Keith smiles and extends a hand. "Come on. You can spend Christmas with us."
2
Keith took James’s hand after he grabbed his bag, leading him towards the front. His phone pinged about halfway there, and he sighed. “We’re meeting them in the hangar now. We’re taking a rover.” “You’re allowed to drive those?” James asked. “Well, no. I can’t.” James smirked. Is it because you stole Shirogane’s?” Keith felt his face heat. “No…”
James hummed, obviously not believing his statement. “Shut up.” “I didn’t say anything.”
They spent the rest of the walk in silence, only letting go of the other when they passed senior officers. They gave them looks of shock before they nodded, letting them continue on their way. Keith tried to imagine what they looked like. The new Golden boy and the Troublemaker, holding hands and walking around the base. This would definitely be getting back to command.
“Keith! There you are!” Shiro called when they walked in the hangar. “And.. Griffin?”